The present invention relates to door frames installed in the opening of a wall, and more particularly to sectional door frames that employ drywall compression anchors.
Generally, sectional door frames consist of a header which is arranged to engage the top of the opening of a wall and a pair of jambs designed to engage opposite marginal side portions of the wall about the opening. The header and the jambs are generally channel shaped in cross section, and the upper ends of the jamb are mitered and connected to mitered opposite ends of the header by a tongue and groove configuration or other known means. One of the jambs constitutes a hinge jamb to which the door is hingeably connected, and the other jamb constitutes a strike jamb against which the swinging edge portion of the door engages.
Sectional door frames are usually installed in the opening of a wall of stud type construction. Walls of this construction are in common use and are known in the industry as "drywalls" in which the wall comprises vertical studding, either wood or metal, with panels formed of plaster board secured to opposite sides of the studs.
Drywall compression anchor assemblies are an inteqral part of the frame component and are used to properly install the sectional door frame at the job site. Typically, these assemblies are located near the upper ends of the jambs and are arranged to seat against or engage the vertical studs, or any other wall surface which delineates the door opening through the use of a jamb anchor which is forced against the studs by a jack screw or similar means. By turning the jack screw, the jamb anchor forces the upper mitered end portions of the jambs toward the opposite mitered ends of the header to provide a secure fit of the frame in the opening. The drywall compression anchor assembly also permits the assembled door frame to be adjusted to a plumb position with reference to the door opening of the wall.
Heretofore drywall compression anchor assemblies have employed jack screws which were supported on only one side of the jamb anchor, typically the jamb side. This single means of support has lead to a variety of problems. For instance, once the jamb anchor reaches the end of the screw, the screw had a tendency to tip to one end which prevented the jamb anchor and the wall from engaging in surface to surface contact. As a result, the pressure exerted between the wall and jamb anchor was not uniform during installation. Additionally, once the jamb anchor reaches the end of the screw, there was the possibility that the jamb anchor would disengage from the assembly. In such case the jamb anchor would fall into the door opening between the wall and the door frame necessitating removal of at least a portion of the door frame to retrieve and reinstall the jamb anchor.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,835,933; 3,469,360 and 3,552,085 disclose prior art drywall compression anchor assemblies each having the shortcomings described above.
Accordingly, it is an overall object of the present invention to provide a drywall compression anchor assembly which will exert uniform pressure against the wall opening by making solid surface contact between the wall and the jamb anchor.
It is another object to provide such an apparatus that prevents the jamb anchor from disengaging from the apparatus when the jamb anchor travels to the end of the jack screw.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus in which the jack screw is supported on both sides of the jamb anchor.
A still further object is to provide such an apparatus which prevents the screw from tipping to one end when the jamb anchor travels to the end of the screw.
A still further object is to provide such an apparatus to capture the jamb anchor between a pair of supports.
A still further object is to provide such an apparatus that is of simple and economical construction, easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture.